The present invention relates to a liquid pouring spout and, in particular, to a volume metering pour spout wherein the exposure of a metering orifice is temporarily sealed at the start of a pour to assure an accurate pour of a predetermined volume of liquid without spillage, “blocked”, “short shot” and/or “continuous pour” conditions.
Numerous types of mechanical, electromechanical and electrically controlled pour spouts or liquid pourers have been developed to dispense liquids. Pressurized, hand controlled dispensing systems are also commonly used in commercial settings that couple to several remotely located bottles.
The subject pourers are individually fitted to liquor bottles and used to manually dispense the contained liquids upon tipping the bottles. Some pourers merely provide a spout to facilitate pouring without spillage. More sophisticated pourers dispense liquid in metered volumes ranging from ¾ ounce to 3 ounces. The pourers are secured to the container with a liquid tight seal and can include features to prevent the exposure of the liquid to the air, dust, insects and other environmental contaminants.
The manual pourers are primarily designed to dispense liquor, although some are used to dispense a variety of other liquids. For example, pourers are used by chefs to dispense cooking oils, wines, water or any other cooking liquids. Persons involved in other occupations that require the frequent dispensing of bottled liquids may also use a manual pourer. These pourers may or may not provide metering and may or may not include cap pieces to cover a spout orifice.
Metered pourers are constructed to dispense a predetermined quantity or volume of liquid upon tipping a bottle fitted with the pourer. As the bottle is tipped a liquid control assembly permits the liquid to flow from an included spout until a predetermined volume is dispensed. The pourer then shuts off liquid flow, until the bottle is returned to an upright condition and any liquid in the flow path is returned to the bottle.
Some mechanically metered, prior art pourers of generally similar construction to the present invention that are particularly known to applicant are shown at U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,044,521 and 5,961,008. The latter pourers utilize multiple ball valves or check balls (e.g. ball bearings) and associated valve seats to hydraulically control the volume of liquid dispensed by the pourer. The '521 patent provides for a two-ball pourer and the '008 patent provides for a three-ball pourer.
A metering orifice formed into the longitudinal dump cap sidewall of the foregoing '008 and '521 pourers admits liquid into the pour path downstream of a primary check ball to control movement of the check balls to determine the volume of liquid dispensed. A greater volume of liquid is dispensed as the area of the metering aperture is reduced. The forward, primary check ball controls primary liquid flow and an aft, dump check ball at a so called “dump valve” controls the evacuation of liquid from a center flow conduit. A third, vent check ball cooperates with a bottle vent orifice to prevent liquid dripping from the spout as the bottle is returned to an upright condition.
Depending upon the hand movements of a user (e.g. bartender), the foregoing pourers can be induced to several undesired conditions that overcome the metering control. That is, a sharp, rapid tipping movement can throw the primary check ball off a rear valve seat to prematurely engage a forward valve seat in the primary flow conduit to “block” or prevent liquid from being poured. Alternatively, the exaggerated movement can permit some flow but produce an abbreviated pour time and result in a “short shot” condition. A less exaggerated or slow tipping action can occasionally cause the primary check ball to remain seated to the aft valve seat and produce a “continuous pour” condition. Liquid is then dispensed continuously without any metering so long as the bottle remains tipped with the primary check ball stuck and a supply of liquid is available to flow through the flow spout.
The present invention was developed to provide an improved volumetrically controlled pourer. The pourer was particularly designed to dispense an accurately metered volume of liquid in a construction that minimizes the possibility of undesired “blocked”, “short shot” and “free pour” conditions. The pourer in several embodiments provides a novel valve assembly and mechanism for controlling a pressure gradient or pressure differential between upstream and downstream sides of a primary valve member. For a period of time at the start of each pour, the assembly restricts liquid and air flow downstream of the primary valve member to restrain the valve member to its seat. The restricted flow acts in a fashion similar to holding a finger over one end of a liquid filled straw. Until the present control member is released, liquid is prevented from entering or flowing out of the straw or primary flow channel. In various alternative pourers, the assembly temporarily controls or blocks the exposure of alternative longitudinal and/or radially directed metering orifices and/or liquid control orifices to liquid flow and thereby temporarily restrains movement of a primary check ball.
In one presently considered construction, a metering orifice is arranged as part of a longitudinally reciprocating, metering assembly fitted to the pourer downstream of a primary check ball. A reciprocating tubular valve body mounted in a “dump cap” housing contains a forward valve surface and a concentric metering orifice. Several associated, radially directed liquid control orifices are formed in the sidewalls of the valve body. A weighted, tubular member is separately supported in the valve body for reciprocating movement with pourer movement to contemporaneously seal and expose the liquid control orifice(s).
The weight member seals the liquid control orifices and produces a negative pressure condition at the metering orifice (in the fashion of a finger over a filled straw) and downstream of the primary check ball (versus the upstream side of the primary check ball) to prevent premature release of the primary check ball. Once the weight member moves past the liquid control orifices, liquid flow through the metering orifice releases the primary check ball valve. “Blocked”, “short shot” and “free pour” are thereby prevented conditions.
An alternative pourer assembly supports a valve body downstream of a primary check ball in a dump cap housing having a forward valve surface and a longitudinal metering orifice. The valve body reciprocates to and fro, without a weight piece, to control movement of primary check ball.
Other alternative volumetric metering assemblies provide control mechanisms that cooperate with one or more radially directed (relative to a longitudinal flow axis) metering orifice(s) formed through the sidewalls of a longitudinal liquid flow tube or dump cap. The control assemblies temporarily cover the metering orifice(s) to prevent premature movement of a primary check ball. Several alternative electromechanical, magnetic and/or electromagnetic and/or manual cover pieces that cover the metering orifice are disclosed. Appropriate reciprocating, pivoting or rotating movement of each cover piece from a covered to uncovered condition at the start of each pour, exposes the sidewall metering orifice to normal liquid flow to release a primary check ball.
Air flow through associated vent tubes in the subject pourers is also improved. Relatively long tapered vent chamber walls downstream of a forward vent seat regulate air flow past the vent ball relative to the decreasing volume of liquid in the container. As the volume declines, the tapered walls allow the vent ball to remain unseated longer than with prior art pourers to maintain the primary liquid flow and assure a constant volume delivery with each pour over the life of a bottle. The improved vent tube structure can be used alone or in combination with the other improvements of the invention.
Alternative novel spout cover assemblies are also disclosed that can be incorporated into the presently improved pourers alone or in combination to seal the primary flow path from contaminants when the bottle is stored upright. The spout cover assemblies can also be combined with other metered or un-metered pourers.